Over 57% of women in America feel that their hair is damaged.There are a lot of reasons that hair can become damaged, but one of them is how many mistakes in hair styling we make on a daily basis.From turning our hair styling products too hot to not knowing how to properly shampoo our hair, these are both culprits for damaging hair. However, there are many other culprits that cause hair damage as well. Ready to find out what they are so that you can avoid these mistakes in hair styling? Read on to learn more.
1. Turning the Heat All the Way Up
When you are styling your hair, you want it tight. You want your hair to stay exactly where you are putting it and how you are styling it. And you know that turning up the heat often makes the hairstyle stay tighter or longer.
However, this is not a great thing to do to your hair. For instance, if you are blow drying your hair at the highest heat, straightening it, and curling it at high heat, you are doing a huge disservice to your hair.
It is a misconception that not turning the heat up all the way on your hair styling tools means they won’t work as well. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Your tools will still work even on medium heat settings, and they are better for your hair in the long run! Turning the heat down will save your hair from extreme damage to it.
2. Choosing the Wrong Brush
Did you know that there are specific brushes for different styles and things you want to do to your hair?
Choosing the correct brush and barrel size can actually make or break the locks of your hair.
This goes for brushes to get out tangles as well as styling brushes.
In terms of styling brushes, go for a smaller barrel to get more curl and a larger-bodied brush for straighter hair during a blowout.
3. Shampooing Incorrectly
You may read this and wonder how there is possibly a way to shampoo incorrectly! It’s a crazy idea, but it’s definitely possible! And a lot of us are probably doing it.
For starters, you want to make sure you are picking a shampoo that is right for the pH balance of your hair and scalp. You should also choose a shampoo that works for your hair depending on if you color it in order to protect it from the color fading.
Maybe you have dry hair. If that’s the case, you want to look for a shampoo that is moisturizing.
Or maybe you have the opposite problem and have to deal with oily hair. If that’s the case, you’ll want to look for a shampoo that is in the category of cleansing shampoos.
Once you have the shampoo for your hair type, you actually need to make sure that you are shampooing correctly. To do so, make sure that you are lathering up the shampoo onto your scalp to stimulate blood flow to the hair follicles. This makes them healthier and ensures that your hair glows healthily as well.
Once you shampoo thoroughly, be sure to rinse just as thoroughly to make sure that you get all the shampoo out of your hair. This will keep it healthy!
4. Going to Sleep With Wet Hair
When you go to sleep with wet hair, this can cause a lot of friction in your hair. Friction can cause a lot of frizz on your head.
If you are not a fan of frizz (which most people aren’t), then you are going to have a lot of work to do in the morning with getting the frizz out. Most of the time, you’ll spend way more time on your hair if you go to bed with your hair wet because of the friction causing frizz overnight.
If you have the time, it is much better to dry your hair at night before you go to bed so that you don’t cause your hair to frizz while you are sleeping.
5. Washing Your Hair Too Often
You’ve probably heard this one before, but washing your hair too often can also cause a lot of problems. There is a misconnection that to be clean, we need to take a shower every day.
The real news? That’s not even true for our bodies!
When you shower every day and wash your hair, you are actually stripping your hair of the essential oils that it needs to remain healthy. This can cause other unwanted effects to your hair.
If you don’t like the look of your hair when you don’t wash it, try dry shampoo to see if that fixes some of your issues. Either way, it should prolong your need to wash your hair!
6. Choosing the Wrong Hair Products
There are a lot of hair styling products out there on the market. It can be difficult to pick the kind that you like—especially with so many to try. However, you should first narrow down the different hair styling products based on the different hair types that you know you have.
For instance, if you have frizzy hair, there are certain products for that. If you have extremely tight curls, there are products for that. This could be a conditioner product all the way to a specific gel product that you could use.
If you use a product that is not meant for your specific hair type, your hair is not going to look how you want it to look. It may also even hurt your hair! That’s the last thing you want – so make sure you stay focused on your specific hair type when looking for hair products.
7. Over-Styling Your Hair
There is such a thing as over-styling your hair. Your hair can be fragile, so if you don’t give it the proper breaks that it needs, it is not going to be as healthy as it should be.
This is because the harsh chemicals that you use in certain products or treatments as well as applying too much heat can be damaging.
You should plan to give your hair a break from the heat at least once per week. On this day, opt for a gentler styling technique instead.
Not over-styling can make your hair look much healthier. For instance, check out these Voloom before and after photos.
8. Wearing Tight Hairstyles Too Often
Tight hairstyles are more common than you may think. Every time you pull your hair back—whether you are washing your face, hitting the gym, or doing a sleek updo for a night out, you are creating a tight hairstyle.
However, tight hairstyles are some of the most common hairstyles that lead to hair loss.
The tension that is pulling on the root of the hair follicle is what can lead to hair loss. This is even more true the longer your hair is.
This is an easy fix! If you catch yourself going for a tight hairstyle, rethink it. Go for something else.
9. Not Using Protectant on Your Hair
So you use SPF on your skin every morning, but have you ever thought that maybe you should be protecting your hair as well? Using a protectant on your hair can help protect it from the sun, heat styling, and pollution. These factors can make your hair dull and dry, but a protectant can help.
10. Skipping Haircuts
It can be easy to skip a haircut if your hair seems to be doing fine. You may not think that the length needs to change or that your ends need trimming.
However, the longer you let your hair go without a haircut, the more your ends will become visibly dry. When this happens, they will start to break. This is causing damage to your hair.
It’s good practice to get your haircut at least every three months if not more.
Avoid These Mistakes in Hair Styling
There are so many mistakes in hair styling that you can make. However, these mistakes can damage your hair and make you feel self-conscious if you are not careful!
Luckily, there are easy ways to avoid these mistakes. There are so many options for hair styles as well as hair care tips that you will be sure to have healthy hair if you follow them!
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